End fitting for street lights



April 6, 1943. A. A. HOCHER END FITTING FOR STREET LIGHTS Filed Aug. 6, 1940 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 END FITTING FOR STREET LIGHTS Andrew A. Hocher, Etna, Pa., assignor'toHubhard and Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 6, 1940, Serial Lid-351,601

Claims. (01-. 28591) My present invention relates to street lighting, and more particularly to fittings forstreet light brackets by means of which proper positioning of the illuminating units can be eilected to provide efiicient lighting.

In street lighting systems such as those commonly installed throughout the country solid .or hollow poles are located at appropriate points in many municipalities and each such pole is generally provided with a horizontally extending bracket attached at one end to the pole and the distal end of which is provided with an illuminating unit. Despite even the most careful installation and servicing of poles and brackets, it

initially may lose the same after a period of time :due to the fact that the pole or bracket or both may become loosened, warped, damaged or otherwise dislocated. Conventional fixtures as now made and employed do not allow for overcoming misalignment, either that which may arise due to the original inaccuracy of installation or that which may arise after installation. Thus the physical equipment designed for effective illumination at predetermined locations is both unattractive in appearance and inefiicient in operation. Since street lights are frequently placed at dangerous corners, intersections or bad terrain, the importance of proper lighting cannot be minimized or disregarded.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the defects and disadvantages inherent in conventional-lighting systems and to .provide a lighting system wherein each illuminating unit can be adjusted to overcome misalignment due to faulty installation or to developed dislocation.

. Another object of the'invention resides in pro- .viding an illuminating unit for street lighting systems which is adaptable for use either with so-called internal or external wiring arrangements and which is not only simple in construction and easy to operate but which is characterized by its being subject to no structural or functional fdifliculties.

A further object of the invention resides in'producing afitting forthe distal end of the bracket attached to the pole 'of .a street lighting unit which is not only both highly usef ul and ornamental but which makesit possible'to have the illuminating unit always in plumb.

A still further object of the invention-resides in the provision of'a fitting for the distal end of the bracket attached'to the poles of street lighting systems which is capable of acting asa bulb and globe adjusting means whereby-the predetermined quality and quantity'of illumination can be realized regardless of faulty installation or developed dislocation of such street lighting equipment.

There is also a still-furtherobject of the invention which is to make it possible to secure the predetermined quality and quantity of illumination whilerelieving the-service and maintenance divisions of the lighting company from the necessity of extremely accurate placingand installation of its street facilities.

Other and furtherobjects-and advantages will be understoodby those skilled in "this art-froma consideration of the subsequent description or will be apparentor pointed-outhereinafter.

'In the accompanying drawing .wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the pres.- ent invention i and wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the-various Fig.2 and lookingfrom lefttoright of thatfigure but minus the fini'al;

Fig. 4 is a-view looking upwardly from beneath Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail plan View of the locking ring forming a part of'this invention.

The general nature and location or the invention Willf be appreciated from Fig. 1, from which it will be noted that the pole lll,-in -thisgcase a hollow -metal pole, is provided "with -a pole plate H, the specific-structure of whicl-rformsno part of the present invention but which is-of such nature as to form --a-suitable attaching means for the bracket or arm =l 2. The pole plate is suitably secured to the made as by {fastening instrusurface thereof.

mentalities l3 (e. g., bolts) and is provided in the form illustrated with a hollow bushing 4 by means of which the electrical conductor l5 passing internally of the pole may extend through such bushing and into the said bracket. The bracket l2 in this case is in the form of a hollow pipe or tube, one end of which is held within the pole plate and in such relation to the bushing as to be enabled to receive the conductor |5, which accordingly passes internally through the said bracket l2. This bracket is usually provided with a brace in order to strengthen it and to keep it approximately in the desired horizontal position, and in Fig. 1 this brace takes the form of an, ornamental scroll it which, as shown, is attached to the pole at H and to the bracket by means of the hangers |8. The brace may, of course, be of any suitable or desired physical configuration and,

may be either above or below the bracket. Likewise, the bracket itself may be located at or near the upper end of the pole or at a pointconsiderably below the top. This, however, depends upon the type and design of pole and the estheti-c qualities of the lighting system. Per se, these factors form no part of this invention.

The distal end of the bracket 2 is exteriorly threaded for the reception of the parts which constitute the present invention. These comprise four main parts: a housing I9, a spherical shell 29, a locking ring 2| and a finial 22. The housing is hollow and of a hemispherical shape. It. is provided with three openings: that numbored 23 which is interiorly threaded at 2-4 and I passes through a lateral extension 25 adapted threadedly to engage the externally threaded end of the bracket l2; that numbered 26 which is within the hollow vertical boss 21 and through which the parts are locked or unlocked; and that numbered 28 at the bottom of the housing by means of which the spherical'shell 28 is adapted to be introduced and withdrawn for assembly and disassembly purposes and inwhich the looking ring 2| operates. The spherical shell 20 is, as shown, of the general form of a hollow sphere. This member is provided with a relativelylarge opening 29 in the wall thereof and substantially in alignment with the opening 23 in the housing Hi. The member 20 is provided with a hollow depending extension 30 exteriorly threaded at 3| and also with a slot 32 in its wall substantially diametrically opposite the center of the opening 29 in such member. The housing I9 is provided with an inwardly extending projection 33 adapted to operate in the slot 32 as and for the purpose hereinafter to be described.

The locking ring 2| is an: annular member which has a flaring central opening 34 which tapers from bottom to top, i. e., the internal diameter of the opening 34 at the upper edge of the locking ring is somewhat less than at the lower The internal diameter of the opening 34 at the upper end of the ring is less than the external diameter of the hollow spherical member 20, which, as shown in Fig. 2, rests upon or against the said locking ring and engages with a concave annular bearing surface 35 which is complementary to the curvature of the said spherical member 20 at the engaging portion of the latter. The locking ring operates on the principle of a bayonet connection.

A reference to Figs. 2 and 4 will show that the bottom of the housing member I9 is provided with spaced cut-away portions 36 between which arcuate flanges 31 accordingly become formed.

Thus the annular shoulder 38 formed in the bot tom of the housing |9 constitutes one side of an annular groove 39, the other side of which is delimited by the projecting portions (flanges) 3'! which, as already noted, are discontinuous since the cut-away portions 36 separate and space them. In the particular form of the invention which has been illustrated there are three such cut-away portions 33. In addition, the bottom edge of the housing It below the lateral extension 25 is provided with two spaced lug-like projections 46 between which an inverted U-shaped recess 4| is thus produced.

A strengthening rib 52 preferably extends from just above the recess 4| to the under side of the lateral projection 25. Other strengthening ribs may likewise be employed such as that designated at 43 on the upper side of the lateral extension 25 and those designated at M which are spaced uniformly around the periphery of the housing l-9.

The locking ring 2| is provided with spaced arcuate projections 45 adapted to .be received within the correspondingly spaced cut-away potions 36 already described. The projections 45 are in this case three in number and are disposed at intervals around the ring. On its under surface the ring is provided with a projecting locking element it which, as the ring is initially made, extends horizontally and radially outwardly until the same underlies the inverted U-shaped recess 4| between the projections 49 on the bottom surface of the housing l9. Then the locking element 46 is bent upwardly until it lies within the recess 4|, thus maintaining the parts against accidental disassembly and also preventing relative rotation, it being noted that rotation of the ring through an angle of approximately 45 is all that is required to bring the projections 45 into registry with the cut-away portions 36 for assembly and disassembly purposes. I

The finial 22 is made up of an externally threaded short shank 41 of such size as to be threadedly engageable with the opening 26 in'the boss 21 which is interiorly threaded for this purpose. It will be noted that the upper portion of the opening 26 is somewhat enlarged and that the lower end of the member 41 is somewhat tapered for guide purposes and for ease of assembly. Above threaded portion 41 the finial is provided with a cap-like portion 48 having a depression 49 in its under side and a depending annular skirt 50 surrounding the same. The upper surface of the cap is preferably ornamented such as by a spearhead 5|, but it is to be understood that this may be of any ornamental form or nature and is not an essential part of the invention. In the form of the invention shown, a

plug 52 is provided between the bottom of the portion 47 and the adjacent surface of thespherical member 20, but this is not essential and is clockwise direction to release the parts thereby affected and I then rotate the locking ring through 45 or until projections 45 register with cut-away portions 36,1.1nder which conditions the locking ring may be moved out of the assembly.

This frees the hollow sphericalmember 20, the maximum diameter of which is less than the minimum diameter of opening 28, and therefore this member may be readily removed through such opening. There is no difiiculty in causing slot 32 in the spherical member 20 to become disengaged from the projection 33. By dropping member 20 downwardly for a short distance and then rotating it slightly counterclockwise the-disassembly is readily effected. Theplug 52, when used, is then accessible for removal and, of course, the finial may be removed by unscrewing the same. Assembly is substantially the opposite and is carried out by reinserting the hollow spherical member 20 in the housing to the position of Fig. 2, placing the locking ring in such position that its projections 45 register with and drop into the cut-away portions 36 andthen rotating the ring until the projection 46 underlies the inverted U- shaped recess 4.5. Where the projection is bent, this, of course, is unbent prior to disassembly and rebent upon reassembly. The plug may be inserted from either end of opening 26 and the finial screwed into place.

To adjust the parts and to make the-portion 31 of the hollow spherical member assume a true vertical position, the same is moved within the limits permitted by the projection 33 and slot 32 until the desired adjustment is reached, whereupon the finial is tightened, thus holding the parts in adjusted condition. It is obvious that prior to adjustment or readjustment the finial must be loosened.

The assembly of the illuminating unit is completed by attaching the cup-like fitting 53 to the projection 30, by inserting a bulb in operative association with member 30 and by installing a suitably shaped globe 54 within the cup-shaped member 53 as by setscrews or the like (not shown) or any other suitable fastening means. A polygonal member 55 of the nature and purpose of a lock nut may also be provided for the usual purposes.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is presented as illustrative and not as limitative and that I may make various additions, omissions, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit or principles hereof. Rather, the invention is to be defined by the appended claims. WhileI prefer to makethe parts hereinabove described of malleable cast iron, it is to be understood that I am not restricted as to the composition of the material involved, as this may be any suitable metal, alloy or combination of materials, including also non-metallic materials such as so-called plastics and resins.

As previously stated, the wiring may be either external or internal. In the former case the conductor passes from the pole directly to the cuplike member 53, through which it passes to make connection with the terminals provided therein. In the latter case, the conductor passes through the bushing 14 interiorly through the bracket 12 into and through the parts of the present invention and thus to the terminals in 53 as before. In passing through the parts constituting the present invention it will be clear from a reference to Fig. 2 that there is an unobstructed path provided by the parts here involved and that the conductor may enter the opening in lateral extension 25, pass through such extension and through the opening 29 in the hollow spherical member- 25, and thence from the interior of that member down through the hollow extension 30 until it is connected to the terminals as already recited. The bulb contacts therewith in known manner. This bulb may be either a single or multiple terminal bulb, and in theformer .case a single terminal and a single wire will suifice for the electrical connections. Irrespective of the other features referred to, the conductor may be either internal or external with respect to the pole, being preferably internal when a hollow pole is employed and external when a solid pole is employed. The solid poles may be made either of metal or of wood, and the hollow poles are invariably made of metal. It should be understood, moreover, that the invention is applicable to arctypeilluminating units as Well as those employing an incandescent bulb, and it is therefore to be understood that the invention covers these and other variations in physical equipment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letter Patent is:

1. An end fitting for street lights which comprises a housing having a lateral hollow extension adapted to be attached to the distal end of the bracket of a street light pole, a hollow upwardly projecting boss'and a bottom opening bounded by an annular flange which has spaced cut-away portions in its lower side wall, a hollow spherical member disposed-within said housing having an opening in substantial registration with the lateral extension of said housing and a hollow depending exteriorly threaded extension adapted to make connection with an illuminating unit, said spherical member being adapted for introduction and withdrawal through the bottom opening of said housing and through which the depending extension projects, a locking ring configured to cooperate with the annular groove of said housing and having a bayonet-type engage ment therewith and a finial member operable through the hollow boss aforesaid to hold said housing and spherical member against relative movement.

2. An end fitting for street lights which comprises a housing having a lateral hollow extension adapted to be attached to the distal end of the bracket of a street light pole, a hollow upwardly projecting boss and a, bottom opening bounded by an annular flange which has spaced cut-away portions in its lower side wall, a hollow spherical member disposed within said housing having an opening in substantial registration with the lateral extension of said housing and a .hollow depending exteriorly threaded extension adapted to make connection with an illuminating unit, said spherical member being adapted for introduction and withdrawal through the bottom opening of said housing and through which the depending extension projects, a locking ring configured to cooperate with the annular groove of said housing and having a bayonet-type engagement therewith and a finial member operable through the hollow boss aforesaid to hold said housing and spherical member against relative movement, said locking ring comprising an annular membe having a plurality of arcuate projections extending outwardly from its upper surface and capable of registering and non-registering positions with respect to the cut-away portions in the bottom annular flange of the said housing and a locking element bent upwardly into a recess provided in the housing for that purpose.

3. An end fitting for street lights which comprises a housing having a lateral hollow extension adapted to be attached to the distal end of the bracket of a street light pole, a hollow upwardly projecting boss and a bottom opening bounded by an annular flange which has spaced cut-away portions in its lower side wall, a hollow spherical member disposed within said housing having an opening in substantial registration with the lateral extension of said housing and a hollow depending exteriorly threaded extension adapted to make connection with an illuminating unit, said spherical member being adapted for introduction and withdrawal through the bottom opening of said housing and through which the depending extension projects, a locking ring configured to cooperate with the annular groove of said housing and having a bayonet-type engagement therewith and a finial member operable through the hollow boss aforesaid to hold said housing and spherical member against relative movement, said locking ring being also provided with a locking element adapted to enter a recess provided for that purpose on the lower surface of said housing.

4. In an end fitting of the character described, a hollow housing which has a substantially hemispherical central portion, a hollow interiorly threaded lateral extension on one side thereof,

an upwardly projecting hollow interiorly threaded boss and a large opening in its bottom, the bottom of the housing around said opening being provided with a continuous annular shoulder overlying an annular groove and an annular botvtom flange which is discontinuous due to the presence of spaced arcuate recesses, the lastnamed flange being provided at one point with a pair of spaced depending lugs which between them define an inverted U-shaped cut-away portion.

5. An end fitting for street lights which comprises a housing having a lateral hollow extension adapted to be attached to the distal end of the bracket of a street light pole, a hollow upwardly projecting boss and a bottom opening bounded by an annular flange which has spaced cut-away portions in its lower side wall, a hollow spherical member disposed within said housing having an opening in substantial registration with the lateral extension of said housing and a hollow depending exteriorly threaded extension adapted to make connection with an illuminating unit, said spherical member being adapted for introduction and withdrawal through the bottom opening of said housing and through which the depending extension projects, means cooperating with said annular flange for locking said spherical member within said housing and means operating through said hollow boss to maintain the housing and spherical member in a desired angular relationship.

' ANDREW A. HOCHER. 

